Think Woody's weird? Meet the Happy Tree, Newfoundland's own talking Christmas tree
Before American talk show host Jimmy Fallon poked fun at Woody, Nova Scotia's creepily robotic Christmas tree, holiday shoppers in Newfoundland were already chuckling at the oddly frozen facial expressions of the Happy Tree in St. John's.
The Happy Tree emerges each Christmas season to loom in a corner of the Avalon Mall. He watches shoppers with large white eyeballs and talks to them with a flapping mouth. His eyelids normally lift up and down, but they've stopped working; his face is now frozen in a dozy, heavy-lidded expression with a slightly protruding tongue.
Satire website theBeaverton.com joked last year that Woody the Talking Christmas Tree might eat children. Happy Tree's expression, meanwhile, suggests he might prefer a bag of potato chips.
"There has been a bit of a hiccup with the opening and closing of Happy Tree's eyes, but this does not impact the experience of visiting him," said an email Wednesday from Donna Vincent, general manager at the Avalon Mall.
The Happy Tree is "all about community and holiday magic," and it would likely be friends with Woody, she added.
Woody The Talking Christmas Tree stands more than two storeys tall and spends the holiday season in the Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth, N.S. Woody's face is an unsettling pink, somewhat reminiscent of human flesh. He rings in each Christmas season with a "wake up Woody" event, during which his eyes burst open and an amplified voice comes out of his massive mouth.
Jimmy Fallon has played video clips of Woody on "The Tonight Show" for the past two years, describing the tree as "creepy."
Erin Smith is president of Display Arts of Toronto, which built the Happy Tree in 2011 for the Avalon Mall. She said she agrees with Fallon: Woody has a creepy vibe.
"But you know, the Happy Tree is kind of weird too," she said in an interview.
The Happy Tree was a custom order, Smith added, noting that she's not aware of any other trees like it. It took her team of between eight and 10 people about two months to construct the Happy Tree, from his robotic mouth to his hand-painted globular eyes, she said.
Someone can sit in a nearby gift box with a microphone to give Happy a voice, she said. There's a camera inside the box so they can hear and see kids gathered around the tree during his regularly scheduled talking hours.
"The original design has ventilation and everything because this poor guy was in there for hours," Smith said. "Imagine how hot it can get."
Smith said she hopes someone from her company will be called to Newfoundland to fix the Happy Tree's broken, half-closed eyelids.
"I don't want it to stop even though his eyes are a bit old and crusty," she said. "Let's give him some tender, loving care and keep him going."
Vincent said the Happy Tree's eyes will be fixed, though she did not say when.
"We do intend to continue Happy Tree as long as possible, as he's important to our community," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mark Carney reaches out to dozens of Liberal MPs ahead of potential leadership campaign
Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor, is actively considering running in a potential Liberal party leadership race should Justin Trudeau resign, sources tell CTV News.
'I gave them a call, they didn't pick up': Canadian furniture store appears to have gone out of business
Canadian furniture company Wazo Furniture, which has locations in Toronto and Montreal, appears to have gone out of business. CTV News Toronto has been hearing from customers who were shocked to find out after paying in advance for orders over the past few months.
WATCH Woman critically injured in explosive Ottawa crash caught on camera
Dashcam footage sent to CTV News shows a vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed in the wrong direction before striking and damaging a hydro pole.
A year after his son overdosed, a Montreal father feels more prevention work is needed
New data shows opioid-related deaths and hospitalizations are down in Canada, but provincial data paints a different picture. In Quebec, drug related deaths jumped 30 per cent in the first half of 2024, according to the public health institute (INSPQ).
Rideau Canal Skateway opening 'looking very positive'
As the first cold snap of 2025 settles in across Ottawa, there is optimism that the Rideau Canal Skateway will be able to open soon.
Much of Canada is under a weather alert this weekend: here's what to know
From snow, to high winds, to extreme cold, much of Canada is under a severe weather alert this weekend. Here's what to expect in your region.
Jimmy Carter's funeral begins by tracing 100 years from rural Georgia to the world stage
Jimmy Carter 's extended public farewell began Saturday in Georgia, with the 39th U.S. president’s flag-draped casket tracing his long arc from the Depression-era South and family farming business to the pinnacle of American political power and decades as a global humanitarian.
'A really powerful day': Commemorating National Ribbon Skirt Day in Winnipeg
Dozens donned colourful fabrics and patterns Saturday in honour of the third-annual National Ribbon Skirt Day celebrated across the country.
Jeff Baena, writer, director and husband of Aubrey Plaza, dead at 47
Jeff Baena, a writer and director whose credits include 'Life After Beth' and 'The Little Hours,' has died, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.